Japan to tag digital pirates

Mitsubishi's new system tracks pirated uploads

TOKYO — Pubcaster NHK and electronics giant Mitsubishi have developed an anti-counterfeiting system for nabbing Internet pirates, the partners announced on Wednesday.

The system inserts electronic tags into pics that allow for easy and accurate tracking by investigators. The tags even mark the time and place of recording, making it possible to identify perps more precisely.

Piracy is a growing problem in Japan, particularly the uploading of pirated works on the Internet. A law that went into force in August makes it illegal to record pics in theaters, punishable by a fine of up to Y10 million ($90,910) and a prison sentence of up to 10 years or both.